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Madaline
The mother of Markos Varvaris, Odelia Varvaris is a strong, tough, and often seemingly emotionless woman. Although she takes good care of Markos, and later of Thalia, Odelia has a difficult time expressing her love and pride in other people. Her Stoicism causes Markos to experience identity crises for many years. Ultimately, shortly after being diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease, she tells her son that she’s extremely proud of him—words which fill Markos with pride, but also remind him of the loving relationship he and his mother have been missing for years.
Odelia Varvaris Quotes in And the Mountains Echoed
The And the Mountains Echoed quotes below are all either spoken by Odelia Varvaris or refer to Odelia Varvaris. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 8 Quotes
“You’ve made me proud, Markos.”
I am fifty-five years old. I have waited all my life to hear those words. Is it too late now for this? For us? Have we squandered too much for too long, Mamá and I? Part of me thinks it is better to go on as we have, to act as though we don’t know how ill suited we have been for each other. Less painful that way. Perhaps better than this belated offering. This fragile, trembling little glimpse of how it could have been between us. All it will beget is regret, I tell myself, and what good is regret? It brings back nothing. What we have lost is irretrievable.
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In this passage, Markos--the doctor we first met in Nabi's letter--talks to his aged mother, Odelia Varvaris. Markos has always had a strange relationship with Odelia--while he knows that Odelia is a good mother, he's always felt that Odelia is too disapproving and cold with him, as if she doesn't really love him. Now, after decades of coldness between the two of them, Markos learns the truth: Odelia has always loved Markos, and is enormously proud of his achievement as a doctor and a human being.It's important to notice the fine line between joy and sorrow in this passage. Markos Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis cons
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Odelia Varvaris Character Timeline in And the Mountains Echoed
The timeline below shows where the character Odelia Varvaris appears in And the Mountains Echoed. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 8
...her mother, Madaline, traveled to his home in Tinos, Greece to visit Markos, his mother, Odelia. Odelia had known Madaline since they were children—they went to mass together, and had always...
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...Thalia was wearing a dark veil that covered her face, presumably to hide the scar Odelia had mentioned. Markos can still remember the moment, a few hours after meeting Thalia, when...
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...happiness. Madaline told Markos about how her father used to beat her—and how, years ago, Odelia bravely protected Madaline from these beatings.
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When Markos was a child, Odelia told him to spend more time with Thalia. When Markos protested that Thalia was a...
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Thalia and Markos spent more time together, but only because Markos didn’t enjoy being around Odelia and Madaline together—as he could sense Odelia’s discomfort. One day, as they’re walking by a...
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...Markos’s house. Markos is preparing to take some photographs of his family. Rather than ask Odelia to buy him a camera, he’s made a homemade pinhole camera, using cardboard, a flashlight,...
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The next day, Markos assembles Odelia, Thalia, and Madaline on the beach near his house. He directs them to stand still...
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...visiting Tinos. Madaline announces that she’s leaving Tinos, leaving Thalia to live with Markos and Odelia, supposedly for a few weeks. Madaline claims that she’s returning to her home to shoot...
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Madaline leaves Thalia in Tinos with Markos and Odelia. Thalia doesn’t seem very sad to see her mother go. In the coming weeks, Odelia...
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Madaline sends word to Odelia that her film’s shoot is delayed—Thalia will have to stay in Tinos for longer than...
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In the afternoon, Odelia, who’s been taking a nap, comes downstairs and greets Markos. Odelia and Markos drink coffee...
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The next day, around ten-thirty in the morning, Markos, Odelia, and Thalia gather outside to watch the eclipse. As the eclipse proceeds, Markos notice that...
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